This invention relates to a connector device which is mounted on, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid car and which relays electric power supplied from a power source system.
A connector device of this type may be used to relay a large current of about 100 A. Accordingly, it is necessary that the connector comprises a mechanism for safety of maintenance workers. A connector device of this type is disclosed in, for example, JPA2002-343169 (Patent Document 1).
As shown in FIGS. 41A-41C, a lever fitting type power source circuit interruption device 800, or a connector device 800, which is disclosed in Patent Document 1, comprises a connector 900, a mating connector 950 and a lever 910. The lever 910 is operably supported by the connector 900. The lever 910 is provided with cam grooves 912 while the mating connector 950 is provided with cam pins 952. The cam pins 952 are inserted in the cam grooves 912, respectively. The connector 900 is provided with a male terminal (not shown), or a power-supply terminal. The male terminal forms a part of a power-supply circuit. The lever 910 is provided with a fitting detection male terminal (not shown), or a detection terminal. The mating connector 950 is provided with a female terminal (not shown), or another power-supply terminal, and a fitting detection female terminal (not shown), or another detection terminal. The female terminal forms another part of the power-supply circuit.
As understood from FIGS. 41A and 41B, when the lever 910 is pushed down, the connector 900 is moved downward, so that the male terminal and the female terminal are connected to each other. Thus, the power-supply circuit is formed. As understood from FIGS. 41B and 41C, when the lever 910 is slid in a horizontal direction, the fitting detection male terminal and the fitting detection female terminal are connected to each other so that the power-supply circuit is energized. In order to detach the connector 900 from the mating connector 950, the aforementioned operations are performed in inverse order. Specifically, at first, the lever 910 is slid in an opposite direction opposite to the direction in the case of the connecting so that the fitting detection male terminal and the fitting detection female terminal are disconnected from each other. Next, the lever 910 is raised to disconnect the male terminal and the female terminal from each other.
In order to protect workers from electric shock, a time, which is elapsed since the disconnection between the fitting detection male terminal and the fitting detection female terminal until the disconnection between the male terminal and the female terminal, must be long enough to securely cut off electric power. In other words, it is necessary that there is a certain time interval between the disconnection of the detection terminals and the disconnection of the power-supply terminals.
However, in the connector device of Patent Document 1, the sliding operation of the lever and the raising operation of the lever can be continuously performed. Hence, in the connector device of Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the disconnection of the detection terminals and the disconnection of the power-supply terminals are performed almost without a time interval therebetween.